Ship of Fools Non-Canon Collaborative - The Beautiful Angelica Part I
Ello my fellow Fools of the Manic Chimera! I present to you an experiment of mine. A Ship of Fools Non-Canon Collaborative. In other words, it's a collab that wont be canon to anyone's stories. Thus you don't have to worry about your timeline or anything like that. The general idea is to create a scenario where we can go as wild as we'd like while still building a comprehensive story. With this in mind, I invite you all to participate as you please. But take note of the fact that I will be gamemastering the event to keep things fair and tidy. Of course, because I am the gamemaster, I will not be participating in the event with any of my major characters. I'll mostly be using plot-moving characters and comic relief myself. So you don't have to worry about bias from my part. By the way, I will be taking environmental factors into account. So for all of you hard-hitters that decide to take part, beware that getting a little TOO wild may screw you over BIG time. Kishishi. So without further adieu, let us begin! >8D ''Before the Train Ride ''Once upon a time, there was an island of beginnings. This island was called Cawstwolm because its true name, Jugemu Jugemu Gokō-no surikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakōji-no burakōji Paipopaipo Paipo-no-shūringan Shūringan-no Gūrindai Gūrindai-no Ponpokopī-no Ponpokonā-no Chōkyūmei-no Chōsuke, must have been given to it by a Club of Associates Who Speak in a Terribly Winded and Overly Long Manner. Though Cawstwolm may have been heavily urbanized in comparison to most islands in the world, it was still a pretty quite locale. There had never been a reason for uproar in Cawstwolm and there never would have been if it were not for the arrival of a boss-man and his five underlings shown up. Oca Aronne and his Oca Troopa! Oca Aronne: Come one come all! Come to the transportation that outshines them all! Much to the chagrin of the local sailors, Oca Aronne had set up shop on Cawstwolm's sizable port. Where the sailors could have docked more than a hundred of their ships, was Oca Aronne's single vessel. A vessel unlike any other. A vessel that wasn't as much of a ship as it was a '''TRAIN' of all thing. The Beautiful Angelica.'' Oca Aronne: Nothing can make its way across the sea, quite as fast as this baby! For the cheap, cheap price of 500; you can travel without anyone telling! Random Sailor: I can't believe people are actually paying him to ride that thing... Murmured a sailor as a large number of rather...unscrupulous fellows continued to pay Oca Aronne for a ticket aboard The Beautiful Angelica. Rakku: '''Hey! Do you have a dining car? I'm starving! '''Oca Aronne: Of course, of course! As a matter of fact, we have some catering that'll put even a World Noble's feast to shame! *Bragged Oca Aronne as he turned towards Rakku with a salesman's grin upon his face* All it'll cost you is the 500 it'll cost to ride. That's right! No additional fees for the meals and it's all you can eat as well! And if you don't have the 500, one such as you can sign up for security detail if you like...Guddo Rakku! *Oca Aronne gives Rakku a knowing smile as he states his name before quickly switching back to his salesman's grin* So what do you say? Rakku: That does sound like a great deal. But...how do you know my full name? I never told you. Oca Aronne: Who knows? Who cares? But a ticket or take my deal and you might just find out one day! *With a short-lived flash of a knowing smile, Oca Aronne turned his attention back towards drawing in more customers* Come one, come all... Rakku: Leaving now! Bye! Rakku bumps into Oca as he attempts to leave. Rakku: Excuse me. Wait. The exit is that way. Or is that way? Hiro: NISHISHISHISHISHI!!! Yo! I heard something about food! *The blonde lad forgetting about Rakku* Do you guys cater to vegetarians?! Well if you do, sign me u- *A fist suddenly collided with Hiro's skull.* GAHH!!! Kurenai! What was that for?!! * a comical welt forming on his head* Kurenai: *The woman lowered her comical, smoking fist with the iconic tick mark on her temple." He clearly said we have to pay! Ugh... And you know Corvus won't be happy about that... Not to mention that the man standing asking for people, was already talking with that white haired man.. Corvus: In all honesty, I am fine with it as long as I can sit inside comfortably with my "size" and all.. Along with the fact that I might be able to collect some more invention materials from this beautiful train.. With your help of course... Kurenai: The one ti... Ugh *the woman sighed* fine fine... gather the rest. When you get done with that white haired man sir, could you please answer if the fee is 500 per person, or altogether? Also, do you allow pets? We have eleven members along with a "pet".. *the woman's eyes glowed green as she made eye contact with at Oca.* Oh.. And please do not lie sir.... Or else I WILL know. Oca Aronne: @Rakku Sad that you have to go. You will be missed. Exit up and to the left. *Proceeds to ignore Rakku now* @Kurenai Sure, sure! It's 500 per person, but agree to defend the train in case of attack, not that we're expecting an attack mind you, and one pay can cover you all! So how about it? Hiro: WE WILL TAKE IT! Kurenai: Hiro wa- Hiro: CAPTAINS ORDERS! WOHOO! Terra: You heard him Kurenai... We can't exactly argue with him at this point, please. Kurenai: Fine Fine. *Kurenai's eyes revert to normal as she takes out 6,000.* The extra 500 is for the pet... Anyway, where are the rest? Terra: On the train with Hiro, please. Kurenai: Well, I guess we better go in. *Kurenai hands Oca the money and walks in with Terra in tow.* Terra: This should be fun, please. Kurenai: I hope you are right about that.. I have a bad feeling about this... They walk on, leaving Oca alone again, but not for very long, as the next customer already seems to be approaching. This one, in sharp contrast to the others, walks up in complete silence, and simply glares at Oca until the boss starts the conversation himself Oca: Ah, Tsaro Descole, I believe? Interested in a ride? Best value anywhere! Descole continues to glare silently for several seconds. Then slowly reaches into one of his pockets and draws out 500 Beri. ??: 'Ah There you are! ''A woman wearing a red coat promptly rushed up next to Descole and pats him on the shoulder. '??: '''I wondered where you'd got to! How've you been? Any good fights lately? We have a lot to talk about! ''Descole does not react in the slightest to the newcomer. In fact, he doesen't move at all. He simply stands holding his money until Oca tries to continue 'Oca: '''Umm.. so is that one ticket for you, or for your.. umm- '??: 'Oh sorry. Forgot my manners. I'm Tatyana. He's with me. Two tickets please. that's 1000 Beri isn't it? ''Tatyana pays in full, takes the ticket, and turns back to Descole, who still hasn't moved, allthough his expression has become perhaps a hint more bemused. After trying to hold the ticket out to him unsuccessfully, Tatyana simply sticks it in his outsretched hand with his money 'Tatyana: '''There you go! We're covered. I'll head on board now. Don't stay out too long. So.. I heard something about a dining car? '''Oca: '''Straight ahead, on the left. '''Tatyana: '''Thank you! ''She runs on. Descole watches her go without moving, and then slowly puts away his money and the ticket 'Oca: '''So, is she a friend of yours? No? Partner? Buisness associate? Rival? .... What's your conection? You have met her before, right? '''Descole: '''No. ''With that one word, he steps around Oca, and also boards the train. 'Oca: '..... What.. In the world?.... The Train Ride Begins '''Feel Free to Skip the First Part If You'd Like Contrary to popular belief, The Beautiful Angelica was NOT a sea train. Instead, it was just a track renewal train. It did not sail along the sea, but rather it simply put down buoyant tricks in front of itself and then traveled along those floating tracks. Fortunately for the environment, the tracks were not simply left behind once the train railed over them. Instead they were picked up by the very end of the train and then recycled. The Beautiful Angelica had a whopping 100 train cars in total. Each of those train car were large enough to contain a smaller giant and their interiors were of surprisingly good quality. As a matter of fact, the quality was fine enough for a World Noble! 'Middle Cart' Hiro: AWESOME! The inside of this train is huge! Corvus: Indeed.. It can even accommodate me without any problem.. Osu: Lets sit in the front! Hiro: I say middle! Osu: Front! Hiro: Middle! Osu and Hiro: Grgh! *The two clashed foreheads with the comical fire surrounding them. Hiro's being blue, and Osu's being red.* Sayla: Alright you two.. Lets have a vote. All those who want to sit in the front, say I. Osu and Morty: I! Sayla: Two to ten.. Sorry boys, we are going to be sitting in the middle. Hiro: Ha! Osu: Whatever.. The front is lame anyway.. 'Front Cart' Meanwhile, near the front of the train, a very confused, green-haired young man sat by himself in, oddly, one of the larger compartments. He was dressed simply, a dark emerald green T-shirt and sweatpants, as well as a jacket that was a lighter shade of the same color, with a white trim. On his feet he wore simple sneakers. Dhahaka D. Knave: *Scratching his head in confusion* I still really don't see how this is supposed to be part of my training... He once again lifted up the letter from his sensei, informing him of her desire to have him board the train and take a ride on it (money was enclosed). Knave: 'Well.......... ''The boy leaned back in one of the plush seats, putting his hands behind his head. 'Knave: '''At least it's better than whatever hells she had in store for me if I said no. *Shudders at the very thought* 25 Front of the Middle ''Descole sits next to a window, calmly sipping from a wine glass. He has a table entirely to himself, and indeed both the near tables are unoccupied as well. Few people are willing to get too close to a person with his fearful reputation. Except of course, for the one dark haired girl in the red coat, who deliberately, upon noticing him, comes over and sits opposite him at his table. 'Tatyana: '''Hello again! You are not easy to find, you know. I was looking for quite a while. ''Descole doesn’t reply, although he puts his glass down, which Tatyana clearly takes as a positive sign. 'Tatyana: '''I'm sooooo glad I finally caught up with you though! Like I said, we need to talk. How's the wine? '''Descole: '''It's on the house. '''Tatyana: '''Saves me some trouble I guess. So... what are you planning? '''Descole: '''That is a question I could be asking you. ''She smiles brightly at that. '''Tatyana: '''Oh, but I’ve already answered that. I've been looking for you. Because I'm also a bounty hunter, and I need a teacher. Middle Cart '''Hiro: FOOD GUY!!!!!!!!! I'M HUNGRYYY!!!!! *The blonde lad continued to scream his lungs off in the hopes of gaining food* Osu: So.. Hungry... *The white haired male stating sole collapsed on the floor* Hana: Be glad I packed a lot of bento... Hiro and Osu: *Both hopped up st this news, mouths watering* Hiro: I knew I smelled your cooking! Osu: Comeon! Fork it over! Hana: Okay Okay~ Everyone ready for lunch? Everyone: Yahoo! Suddenly, the train's lights begin to dim. ???: Greetings passengers. Who I am is of no concern but to some of you, and you already know who you are. Did you really think you could escape justice so easily? Well that is not the case. We are here. We are coming for you. And we are going to kill you. As for the rest of you...just take care to stay out of our way. And then the lights cut off all-together. And darkness reigned all-throughout the train. The true story...had begun! The blonde lad looked up from his bento, mouth full of food. Unlike a majority of is crew, he was able to see through the darkness fine. Hiro: Whats going on? Corvus: Hm? Where is everyone.. Arges: Hiro you can see through it right? Hiro: Yeah. You too? Arges: Indeed.. *The black haired male looked over to the humanoid cat lady eating sushi.* Yuuka? You can as well? Yuuka: *The lady developed a frown* Instead of asking who should see, why don't we illuminate the area? *Suddenly a bright light surrounded the crew and illuminated the entire car* Kurenai: Done, and Done. *The girl stated while shining like a bright light* Hiro: Thanks Kurenai! Now.. What's going on?... Madocan: Hi. As Kurenai turns on her lights, the Thunder Beasts find themselves in the presence of an oddly dress man. With an ever-so-serious look on his face, the man eyed Hiro and co with all of the vigilance of an owl. Madocan: Bye. *''Without warning, the man backflips. As he does so, he kicks a thin blade of air which punctures a hole into the car' Because of the sheer speed of the train, the hole in the car begins to pull Hiro and co towards the train's exterior with its suction.* '''Please Move On To Next Middle Cart Section' 25 Front of the Middle The dining cart, already quite sparsely populated, seems to have emptied entirely in the wake of the anouncement. Tatyana: 'Is this what you got on this train for? '''Descole: '''No. ''He picks up his wine glass again and takes a long sip '''Tatyana: '''You can still drink at a time like this? Something big is going to happen! '''Descole: '''That is none of my concern just yet. '''Front Cart At the front of the train.... Knave: 'Zzzzzz........zzzzzzzzzz.................zzzzzzzzz......zzzz ''It appears that Knave has missed the announcement. '''Oca Aronne: Darn it, darn it, darn it! *''Oca Aronne bursts out of the conductor's room in a fit of rage, anger evident on his face. He catches one glimpse at Knave and sweatdrops at the boy's restfulness.* Did he honestly sleep through that? '''Oca Troopa': So what's the plan boss? The Gov has caught up with us. Oca Aronne: I'll say! But...our passengers don't know that. Oca Troopa: Uhh...they KINDA do. They just broadcasted it. Oca Aronne: No, no, no, no. What they broadcasted was a vague announcement. Not a direct accusation. And we're going to use that to our advantage. *''Oca Aronne maneuvers over to the first car's Baby Den Den Mushi and picks it up from its receiver...* 'One Cart Back of the Middle' ''Meanwhile, in a cart right behind the Thunder Beasts' cart, an army's worth of well-armed individuals lift their heads and pay good attention to Oca's announcement. After nodding to each other for a bit, they lock-and-load and prepare for combat... 25 Down of the Middle At the 25th car below the middle cart, one of the dining cars located there. Inside is the All-you-can-eat Buffet for all hungry diners who desired to fill up their stomach 120% full or those with bottomless pits as their stomachs. But mainly, it's for gluttons striving for a good deal. The dining car's buffet has a collection of food all round the world, making it impossible to leave any gourmet unsatisfied. On top of the dining car lies a hungry stowaway who decided to hitch a ride on The Beautiful Angelica. '' '''Rakku:' So this is the dining car! Sure took a while to find it. Stomach: Hey, shut up and get in! I'm starving! Rakku: '''Quiet! You don't make the demands here! I do! I want to find someone first. '''Stomach: Come on! Food before bros, bro! Rakku: Not now! Stomach: '''Yes! '''Rakku: No! Shut up! Stomach: Yes! Eat! Eat! Rakku: Bitch! I do what I want! Stomach: '''I own you! Don't make me roar out of hunger! '''Rakku: Don't you dare! Stomach: '''I'll do it! I'll do it!! '''Rakku: You won't! Stomach: 'Groowwwwwll!!!!! '''Rakku: '''All right! All right!! I'll eat now! Geez! Man, I'm lonely... ''Rakku ponders if he should stop entertaining himself with ventriloquism but then, he discarded his doubts as he doesn't give a *** about it. Rakku jumps down safely in front of one of the doors leading into the dining car. He opens the door and enters the dining car. He was soon greeted by a waiter. '''Waiter: Hello, sir! Welcome to the dining car. In here, you can eat all of the food you wanted from around the world. Seaking meat, paella, pizza, you name it! As long you have your ticket. May I see it? Rakku: 'Sure! Here you go. ''Rakku takes out the ticket from this robe's pocket to validate his qualification in the dining car. The waiter took a glance at it and smiles. 'Waiter: '''Thank you, sir! Please come in and enjoy all of the delicacies. Don't worry about eating too much. We have plenty for everyone! '''Stomach: '''Time to dig in! ''Rakku takes out a shovel from who knows where because logic doesn't exist in this world! 'Rakku: '''Way ahead of you, bud! ''Rakku disappears into thin air and reappears at one of the buffet tables, literally shoveling food onto one of the enormous plates and consuming the towers of food. '''Rakku: '''Seconds! '''Stomach: Thirds! The waiter who greeted Rakku remained unfazed as he watched Rakku devour his contents. He took out a small black book and a pen and recorded what he saw for his hobby. Waiter: And that's crazy customer #6329. I should really publish a book about this. 'Middle Cart' As the hole in the cart started to suck the cart's residents towards the outside, Oca Aronne's voice started to echo throughout the entire train. Oca Aronne: I don't know who it is that brought their problems upon this train, but I do know that I'm NOT 'going to deal with them for you. If someone on this train is a threat to you,'YOU '''get rid of them '''ASAP. Hiro: What the?! *Hiro jumped backward and slammed his feet into the floor securing himself, however the rest of his crew went flying backward out of the hole, along with Hiro's food.* OI!! NOBODY MESSED WITH MY FOOOOD!! MANGALA CASTE! *Suddenly the body's lean body became extremely muscular. After the initial transformation, the boy's body became solid black. Armament: Body! *Hiro then unplanted his feet and with his now extra weight, charged toward the oddly dressed man with a fist raised* Soru, Cloud: Power Hammer! *Hiro "appeared" near the man, and sent a strong punch toward his face* Madocan: But there is no art to being hit... *''murmured Madocan more to himself than to Hiro as Hiro's punch connected with his face. Strangely enough, Madocan's face wobbled around Hiro's punch alongside the rest of his body. It was as if Madocan was made of jello or something''* You seem to have a strange power on your hands my dear child...but you are not Hiro: Thats not all of it! CLOUD: TRUE TEMPEST HAMMER! *Hiro punched the man in the face with the other fist, and once he made contact, released a blast of pressurized air from his fist, along with a massive spark of electricity. After this, he jumped backward* Got ya! Hiro's blow struck Madocan head on, electrocuting the oddly-dressed man as well as blasting him out of the very hole that Madocan created. With a cry of agony and fear, Madocan was cast from the train into outside world. Just as Madocan went out, the door to the cart was burst open and an entire batallion's worth of soldiers swarm in. Most of the soldiers file past Hiro before he can react, while about ten of them march up to Hiro. Five of the ten are armed with spears and shields while the other five are armed with sizable halberds. Hiro: Huh? Y'all wanna fight?! *Hiro slammed his fists together and gave a wicked smile to the crowd* Bring it! *Wind and electricity sparked around the blonde lad* Storm Cloud: PULSE! *Hiro releases a raging wind along with electricity outward in a shockwave like fashion, in the attempt to knock a supermajority if not all of the soldiers out of the building* 'Outside' Meanwhile while Hiro was attacking the foe Osu: You have GOT to be kidding me! Can't we just go one place without some random shit happening? *From his back when sprouted dragon esque wings, of which he used to come to a sudden stop. He then flew downward and picked up their lovely nurse and navigator.* Here you are my darling Terra and Sayla~! Terra: Thanks, please. What about the others? Sayla: How are they gonna manage? Osu: I can only carry two, besides a few can manage.. See? *He then pointed to the bunch coming toward them, such as Corvus who was using his mechanical arm Asa propeller, while carrying Hana and Saber in the process, or Kurenai who was utilizing her flight capability while carrying Arges, or even Morty who was using his special "board" while carrying Tomoe and Yuuka.* Alright, everyone here? Everyone: Yep! Osu: Alright, I would say our first priority is to get back to cap'n.. But there are other people on that train, and I am pretty sure cap'n would say to make sure that they are alright, so lets do that! One person can go back and help cap'n out, but the rest of us will go around helping. Tomoe: Excuse me Osu-San.. But I think I would like to go help Xanthe-Sama... Osu: Alright Tomoe-twan~~! I leave it up to you... Alright everyone.. Lets go! Everyone: Alright! 30 Front of the Middle Oca Aronne: I don't know who it is that brought their problems upon this train, but I do know that I'm NOT 'going to deal with them for you. If someone on this train is a threat to you,'YOU '''get rid of them '''ASAP. El: Something is up then? *Giggled El as he stood up from his seat and took a stand with his arms crossed* Henry Slither: Kobarabarabahahaaaa! I'm guessing this is your problem then? Avery Slither: ...father. I have a bad- * Was all Avery got to say before El stamp his foot upon the ground, prompting the cart's floor to begin to melt! Avery Slither: EEEK! *Without hesitation, Avery swept her feet from the melting ground and began to stand upon her seat with her hand upon her katana* What in the world do you think you're doing?!!! Henry Slither: HOT HOT HOT HOT! *Screamed Avery as he pulled his feet off the ground to late to keep them from being burned a bit* ???: What's going on? ???: What are you doing? ???: W-w-why? All-around people either found themselves either having their feet burned by the molten steel of the cart's floor or quickly rushing to stand on a sea. In the meanwhile, El walked through the molten steel with little to no trouble. El: I'm just about to go do...some community service! One Cart Back of the Middle War T. Hog: We're not going down without a fight. Let's do this brothers. For the glory of our legacy! Glory Hogs: FOR THE GLORY OF OUR LEGACY! Without further delay, the Glory Hogs split into two. One group traveled up the train while the other traveled down the train. War T. Hog didn't join either group, but rather took the time to open a window and climb to the top of the train. Because of his phenomenal strength, the pull of the train's speed wasn't enough to throw him outside. At the very top of the train, War was happy to see someone waiting a few carts away. War T. Hog: It's good to know that my intuition is still in top shape... ???: But your animal instincts must be off. Because you didn't RUN at the sight of me... Somewhere In The Sky Above the Train A short teen stands atop a wandering piece of island cloud with a guitar case on his back and a somewhat dull expression, he is sitting on the edge almost with no fear for his life even tho he can barely see anything aside from the large blue of the ocean below. He looks straight ahead where a little "rectangle" reads: "Jump In 10 Seconds", after a second it changes from "10" to "9" Marcus: Man The Quest Giver's quests are too precise it's honestly freaky... They didn't fail me yet tho. As he finishes his musings and the countdown reaches to Zero he jumps down with the rectangle vanishing as well. He creates under him a large creation of cloth in the shape of a guitar that gets sliced up by a rankyaku and he grabs onto one of the pieces of cloth and uses it as a parachute. Anyone watching this would be left speechless with the coordination and timing but alas no one else would observe it Marcus: That went more smoothly than I could have hoped for. Lands around 10 Carts Back from the Middle one and observes the 2 figures on top of the train with a somewhat bored expression. Who are those 2? One of the two figures was a giant of a man. This large man wore a mask of sorts and was nicely dressed in a military-esque uniform. Though he was not armed, the sheer size of his hands made it very clear that he was still capable of being a danger to many. Even more frightening, the train cart that the man was standing upon was beginning to implode from the strain of enduring naught but the man's presence alone! By this point in time, the man was standing on a crater upon the cart's rooftop. The other figure was a woman whose entire body was concealed by a sleeved cloak of sorts. The only distinguishable features of the woman that was visible was the sizable nodachi she was carrying her eyes. Eyes which were amber in color and glowing with the woman's barely contained rage. From the very sight of the woman, it was clear that she was '''NOT' here on any sort of official business. She was not operating as an agent of any kind. Whatever she was here for, it was PERSONAL. This was a WOMAN SCORNED.'' ???: Get out of my way. I wont ask a second time. War T. Hog: I'm not going to even ask a first time.... War T. Hog visibly flexes his muscles. The sheer power within the man's body was enough to allow those mere flexes to echo like thunder. With a grunt, Hog lunged towards the woman before him. As Hog did so, the recoil of his lunge collapsed the entirety of the cart he'd been standing upon. Like a can underneath the wheel of a car, the cart crumpled into being as thin as paper. With a crazed laugh, Hog soared towards the woman with his fists at the ready... 25 Front of the Middle The War Hogs did not have the common courtesy to signal their entrance into the cart with a knock. Instead they simply kicked down their door with their flintlocks blazing...somehow. Bullets poured into the dining facility almost like rain falling upon the soil of an open field. The only places of safety were the areas behind the facility's counters and some tables that a few of the diners had been quick enough to turn over. In the wake of this attack is a short silence. Then Tatyana stands up from behind one of the tables in the middle of the room Tatyana: 'So you guys would be the trouble. And whoever's trouble you were, you just ruined my evening, so now you're mine. ''All the guns at the front of the group in the doorway move to focus on her. She blinks but doesen't try to take cover again 'Tatyana: '''At least the bottle of wine is intact I suppose. And put those guns away. I know you won't really shoot me. '''Diner: '''Girl, get down! They were perfectly happy to shoot at us before! '''Tatyana: '''My point exactly! You guys have ten seconds to run, by the way. '''War Hog: '''Shoot her already! ''The guns go off with loud clicks, but none of them fire any bullets. She smiles 'Tatyana: '''Told you! You really shouldn't have forgotten to reload after that stunt earlier. Your amuniton isn't endless, after all. Neither's mine, to be fair.. but it is a pretty big bullet. ''She steps forwards and kicks her table out of the way, revealing a large mortar cannon behind it, the fuse of which is just burning down. Exactly where the canon came from, or how she had hidden it, are questions that there isn't time to ask. 'Tatyana: '''And.. time's up! ''The mortar detonates with a deafening crash, and the subsequent explosion engulfs the entire doorway and much of the surrounding frame, all of which starts to fall in on itself. '''Front Cart Back at the front cart, the multiple explosions and eruptions of chaos had FINALLY raised a response from Dhahaka D. Knave... though not the one you might expect. Knave: '*Opens one eye* Mehhh? *Vaguely looks around* ...Mehh... ''And with that, he shifted his position in his very fine plush seat to something a bit more comfortable, then returned to the first proper sleep he had ever had since his draconian training had started half a year ago. '''15 front of the middle The carriage appears to be entirely empty, so the one War Hog rushing towards the back of the train simply runs in without wasting any more shots. Hog: 'Damn it... Why did we have to run into that girl now? '''Descole: '''Girl, you say? ''The hog stops and looks up. Now he's standing in the middle of it, he can see that the car isn't entirely empty. At the far end, a person with a three pointed hat stands in silhouette, having apparently been wating by the far end. 'Hog: '''Huh? Hey you.. out of my way! ''He raises his gun to fire, but the figure moves suddenly, and what felt like a bullet catches him in the shoulder, throwing his aim off. '' ''As Descole steps into the light from the windows, the soldier notices, somewhat odly, that the bounty hunter is actually holding a sheathed sword, one of a pair, rather than a gun. He tries to take aim again. The bounty hunter doesen't even seem to draw his sword fully, but another seemingly invisible bullet takes a nick out of the Hog's arm. Descole stops advancing and glares at him. '''Descole: '''You cannot threaten me at this time. '''Hog: '''How did you get here?! We already came through this carriage! '''Descole: And so did I. Now tell me what the girl has done. Conductor's Room Oca exited the first cart into the conductor's room with look of frustration on his face. With a sigh, Oca leaned onto the back of a chair occupied by a sexy woman whom was conducting the "train". The sexy woman questioningly raised an eyebrow at Oca whom merely shook his head in response. Sexy Woman: Something a matter? Oca Aronne: From the sound of gunfire, it would appear that my plans have worked. The chaos should keep our intruders busy, or at the very least it should keep them busy for long enough for HER to arrive. Sexy Woman: Hopefully. He really wants this. It'd be a damn shame for him to be denied it by government dogs of all people. Oca Aronne: Government dogs? Heh. Never expected to hears such a term be used by a MARINE of all people. With a look over her shoulder, the sexy woman toothily grinned at Oca Aronne. As the sexy woman did so, a name tag on her shirt becomes visible. On the name tag, is Iroppoi. Iroppoi: How come? We're not all World Government enthusiasts. Some of us have a few ulterior motives up our sleeves... 25 Front of the Middle As a result of the War Hogs' volley and Tatyana's mortar, the smoke of charred gunpowder permeates throughout the diner as densely as the thickest fog of a misty valley. While most of the War Hogs have been knocked unconscious by mortar shell, a few of them stand to their feet with a glint of malice sparkling in their eyes as brightly as the stars shine in the night sky. Before long, one of the War Hogs uses a blunderbuss to blow open the diner's other door. As that War Hog does so, the other War Hogs take the time to open metal cans that immediately erupt with smoke as soon as their tops are removed. The smoke from the cans mixes with the smoke from the gunpowder before the combination begins to spread into the adjacent carts. As the smoke spreads, all but one of the War Hogs move on. The War Hog that stays connects a bayonet to his rifle and then begins to use the smoke to steathily search for Tatyana in hopes of avenging his fallen brothers... War Hog: The three little pigs hid from the Big Bad Wolf, but the fourth big boar gutted the wolf with its tusks! The smokescreen behind the hog shifts slightly, and Tatyana lunges out of it. She has donned a dark red hood; far darker than her coat's bright red, and to a passing observer her eyes seemingly glow with a bright light, presumably an attempt to pierce the smokescreen. Although success is limited, it helps to distinguish the shape of her foe. Unfortunately, it also foils what might have been an ambush on her part, since he notices the sudden light. He turns, sweeping the bayonet around, and forcing her to jump back and narrowly avoid harm. '' '''Hog: '''Did you think you were sneaking up on me? '''Tatyana: 'Ack! '' ''The Hog notices her voice has a muffled echo to it, but doesn't think much of it. She jumps forwards again and raises an odd blade that bends at a right angle, covering the back of her arm and also extending up in front of her hand like a cross between a knuckleduster and a short sword. She attempts a lunging swing, which the fighter evades '' '''Tatyana: '''The big bad wolf is not your problem. I'm worse than any wolf. ''The echo in her voice is hard to miss this time. It also sounds somewhat metallic, oddly He readies his bayonet for a thrust, but Tatyana steps forwards and swipes again. This time he blocks. The two lock blades, then disengage and trade more blows. Tatyana's attacks lack finesse and complexity, but her weapon is far superior at close range, and she seemingly has no difficulty breathing despite the thick smoke, or indeed seeing in the dark smokey environment. The hog, on his part, is more than slightly dazzled by the light coming from under her hood. '' '''Tatyana: '''No comment? Surely you see it. I'm wearing red, and now I'm wearing a hood. And the hood is even red. Did you want me to bring an axe as well? ''He blocks the blade with the barrel of his gun, and the two try to push each other away briefly. She suddenly kicks him in the shin, which has no obvious effect, and then takes a swing at his face with her free hand, which similarly has no effect, but allows her to pull off his gas mask, which clatters to the floor somewhere in the smoke. '' '''Tatyana: '''I should have grabbed an axe actually. Would have worked better here. But I was in a rush. Never mind! The point still stands. Don't you see who I am? ''She hooks the blade behind the gun barrel and starts to pull it down and out of the way. There's a moment's resistance, and then she suddenly twists her blade, forcing both weapons into an unusable position. Before he can react, she follows up with an unexpected head butt. At the last instant before it hits him, the fighter catches sight of the face under the hood, and is surprised to instead see what looks like a mechanical skull. '' '''Tatyana: '''I'm the woodcutter. The dazzling light from her eyes isn't half as disorientating as the headache the hit leaves him with, and she takes the opportunity to pull her blade back, taking the rifle right out of his hands. In the next second he tries to draw an emergency knife, but suffers a kick to his stomach, followed by a flurry of slashes. He gets the knife free, but being winded, dazed, and dazzled while in the middle of a choking smokescreen could be a hindrance to anyone, and Tatyana gets in another cut with her blade, before swinging her free hand into the side of his head again. The hit this time has explosive force, or more accurately, is accompanied by a literal explosion, and the metal gauntlet she seems to be wearing doesn't make it any softer. The impact sends the Hog flying sideways into a wall. '''Tatyana: '''Wait... The red girl wasn't the woodcutter was she? Awww, but that was such a good line as well.... Well.. too bad. '''15 Front of the Middle' War Hog: W-w-what are you talking about? Who cares about some girl! We're- Was all the War Hog got to say before a blur flashed into the Warhog, ramming the Warhog with enough force to hurtle the warhog into being embedded into the cart's wall. As the now unconscious Warhog begun to drool blood, the blur became the clear sight of an oddly-dressed man. Incubus: Somewhere... *spoke Incubus in the same voice as the voice of the first announcer* ...you should not be!